Getting to know your boat!

If you own a boat then you are part of that lucky percentage of people that have the freedom to roam the seas in their free time. Freedom however does come with a price. In this case is information, which is not too bad after all. Any boat owner should be informed about the statistics of their vessel in order to know its performance and avoid overstressing the vessel. If you are new to the boat community, here are some of the main statistics that you should be familiar with.

9 boat statistics everyone should know

Understanding boat statistics can help you get to know your own boat better and even choose the one that is right for you, if you are in the market to buy a boat. Here is a list of 9 boat statistics that can help you make an informed decision.

Attributes. Many boats are ranked based on their attributes which include  speed, comfort, stability, short-handed sailing, security, engine power, manoeuvrability and space for entertainment.

The displacement/length ratio is an important statistic that shows you how heavy your boat is and how much speed it can achieve. Generally, the lower the ratio the higher the speed of the boat, however it might not always be the case.

The ballast ratio shows the stiffness of the boat and how sturdy it is when turning in open waters. This is a percentage.

Form stability. This statistic will replace the ballast ratio in some cases and will become the real indicator of the stability of the boat.

Sail area/displacement ratio is a measure of power for sail boats. It measures the real power provided by the sails. Usually the higher this ratio, the better the boat performs.

The angle of vanishing stability is a statistic that shows how stable a boat is when heeling and how far it can heel until it rolls over.

The stability index number is another statistic that shows stability and categorises boats into 4 groups. This number will determine whether a boat can go offshore or not.

The Polar charts are diagrams that show the performance of the boat based on its velocity.

Lastly, the main statistic most people are concerned with is fuel consumption per hour which ultimately leads to the overall cost of operation.

All these statistics are good comparison points between boats. If you have a shortlist of vessels that you are interested to buy, then you can use these points in TheBoatDB to show you how the shortlisted boats are different and in what sense. In addition, if you already have a boat, these statistics can help you figure out the performance and rank of your own boat.